A sold-out crowd of some 200 people turned out last Saturday for a morning on the shooting course at the fifth annual Clay Shooting Fundraiser at Vero Beach Clay Shooting Sports to benefit the Veterans Council of Indian River County.

Shooters enjoyed breakfast, and later lunch, at the beautiful new clubhouse on the property, with meals prepared by onsite caterer Marsh Bistro.

Before heading out, shooters received a safety briefing and were welcomed by Cynthia Ryan, VCIRC executive director, and Carlos Halcomb, board chairman.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and the money that we raise here directly impacts the veterans that live in Indian River County,” said Ryan.

“I think it’s important to know that 10 percent of our population in Indian River County are veterans. And 29 percent of all veterans that live in Florida live in poverty. So the money we raise here directly impacts the veterans that we are looking to help, so thank you,” said Ryan.

She also thanked the staff at Vero Beach Clay, Marsh Bistro, the sponsors, volunteers and staff that contributed to the success of the event, and paid tribute to the many veterans in the crowd.

Halcomb noted that $0.85 of every dollar received goes toward veterans and their families in need.

“Now, to put that in context, as Cynthia said, we have about 16,000 veterans in Indian River County, but we have probably another 25,000 veteran families. So that is our clientele here in Indian River County,” said Halcomb.

“And that doesn’t even capture those who come from outside of our county looking for our help. We don’t turn anybody away. So we have a large clientele here, and we’re only growing more and more.”

Halcomb noted that the Veterans Council currently has about 250 active Case Management recipients.

“When somebody walks through the door, it’s an open case until we fix what’s wrong in their life and make them productive, so they no longer need those assisting dollars. So, that being said, last couple of years, we have put out direct and indirect aid of an amount close to $700,000,” said Halcomb. “That’s very impactful for these folks and their families.”

Earlier, Ryan spoke about their new Veterans Center on 14th Avenue, which opened in July.

“This is really a big deal for us because we’ve never had such a central location where veterans can just drop in and check out our services,” said Ryan.

Services include their Direct Aid program, which assists veterans experiencing an emergency financial crisis, such as medical bills, utilities, car repairs or home repairs, including handicap accessibility modifications.

Expounding on their Case Management program, she said veterans are assessed during the intake process to determine not just any financial issues, but their total well-being. Through partnerships with more than 130 organizations, they are able to link veterans with numerous other services they might benefit from.

The Veterans Council also helps them navigate the Veterans Administration, to pursue eligible healthcare, education and disability benefits.

“And then we follow along with them on that journey to see, for instance, did that resource work out, or what else we can assist them with,” said Ryan.

Ryan was pleased that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is establishing a multi-specialty clinic in Vero on 37th Avenue, in addition to its Community Based Outreach Clinic on 17th Street, which provides primary care and behavioral health services.

“The specialty clinic coming here is really an incredible thing for our veterans because it’s going to create accessibility to the specialties that they generally have to travel to West Palm to be able to receive,” said Ryan.

In the spring, she said, they are reviving the Veterans Appreciation Picnic, that was put on hold during the pandemic.

“We’re bringing it back, which we’re really excited about because it’s an opportunity for veterans and their families to come out at no cost to them and be celebrated,” said Ryan.

For more information, visit VeteransCIRC.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis